Published 10:07 pm, Monday, September 26, 2016

The Chargers, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 2, won the eight-team tournament with a team score of 331, while Macomb Lutheran North, the top-ranked team in Division 4, finished second with a 349.

“She’s doing pretty much what we expect,” Dow coach Doug Bradford said of Stephanie Carras. “She’s been in the top five of every meet we’ve been at, but to do that the last few times out has been impressive, because she’s doing it against some of the other top golfers in the state.

“She plays against another one of the best players in the state every day on her own team,” Bradford added, referring to Alexis Carras.

Competing against another ranked team in Lutheran North was a good test that came at the right time of the year for the Chargers, with the Saginaw Valley League championship to be determined at the final conference meet on Wednesday.

“A 331 is a strong score, and Lutheran North is a strong team that’s one of the favorites in the state to win that division. (Competing against them) was good for them, and it was good for us,” said Bradford.

It was at least the third time that Dow has seen Lutheran North at a tournament this year, said Bradford, whose Chargers beat the Mustangs in Traverse City but lost to them in Troy.

Led by Xavier University-bound Megan Watkins, Frankenmuth was third as a team with a 381. Freeland was fourth with a 401, while Bay City Central was fifth with a 410, Saginaw Heritage was sixth with a 413, Midland High was seventh with a 433, and Mount Pleasant was eighth with a 468.

Three different Midland golfers carded nine-hole rounds of 50 or lower — both Cotton and Gandy with 48s on the back nine, and Doyle with a 50 on the front nine.

“Those are good scores if we could’ve just followed up on the other nine holes,” said Midland coach Carol Neff. “We did play some good golf at times today, and it was a good tuneup for (the SVL finale on) Wednesday.”

“We’re really trying to work toward consistency and stringing together good shots on the course,” said Freeland coach Mike Ritt, whose Falcons trail Frankenmuth by 28 strokes in the chase for the Tri-Valley Conference East title heading into Wednesday’s final league outing in Freeland.

“Olivia was 3 or 4 over (par) after her first four or five holes, but she said she didn’t feel like it, because she felt like she was hitting the ball well,” he added of Pumford.

Dow and Midland travel to the Saginaw Valley League Championship meet on Wednesday at The Fortress in Frankenmuth.